Sen. John McCain, left, Sen. Charles Schumer, and Sen. Lindsey Graham during the State of the Union speech on Feb. 12, 2013 in Washington.

The green ribbons sported by many of those attending the State of the Union address – most obviouslyVice President Joe Biden, given his on-camera perch behind President Barack Obama – were designed to express solidarity with the victims of the elementary school massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.

Democratic Senate leaders Harry Reid and Dick Durbin wore them, as did most House Democrats. The ribbons also had some bipartisan appeal — Republican senators wearing them included John McCain of Arizona, Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Kelly Ayotte of New Hamsphire, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Ted Cruz of Texas.

Eschewing the ribbons, though, was the core of the Senate Republican leadership, including Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Roy Blunt of Missouri and John Cornyn of Texas. Also lacking one was Biden’s seatmate on the dais with Obama, House Speaker John Boehner, an Ohio Republican.